Hardik Pandya of the Gujarat Titans joins Anil Kumble (2009) and Rohit Sharma (2015) as the third captain to win a man of the match title in the Indian Premier League.
Hardik Pandya took the lead early in the IPL 2022 final against Rajasthan Royals, delivering a magnificent spell to put Gujarat Titans in charge.
Gujarat Titans crushed Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets to win their inaugural title in front of a full stadium at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, with captain Hardik Pandya putting on an all-round performance.
Pandya bowled 30 overs in the IPL 2022, appearing in 10 games and missing the others due to a slight groin injury and the fact that his primary five bowlers, along with Rahul Tewatia, had done the job.
Pandya, on the other hand, took it upon himself to give a magnificent performance with the ball in the final against the Rajasthan Royals. Pandya added three to his tally – and three important ones: Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, and Shimron Hetmyer – allowing only 17 runs in his quota of four overs.
Hardik Pandya did not bowl a single ball in the previous two seasons due to a back problem and other concerns that stopped him from bowling even a few overs.
Now, after taking a month off between the T20 World Cup in November and the start of the IPL 2022 in March, a re-energized Pandya, the captain of the new Gujarat Titans franchise, has produced a performance to remember, and a shut-down showcase to anyone doubting his highly elevated abilities with the ball.